The One Where James Learns They're Having a Baby
by karivalentina
Summary: This short fic is a stand-alone scene from chapter 10 of original story 'We Should Get Coffee Sometime.' This is actually the original version (it's quite different from revised version). It contains references to characters from sitcom 'Friends.'


**A/N: This short fic is part of the original 20 chapters I had completed when I posted the first chapter of 'We Should Get Coffee Sometime' back in March. As it turned out, I've added more chapters to the story and made many changes since then. If you've read chapter 10, you will notice the changes I made when you read this. **

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_Previously on We Should Get Coffee Sometime:_

_Set in Tahiti._

_What followed, he would later remember as one of the greatest turning points in his life. Right after a long lovemaking session, Juliet entered a panicked state of mind, as she frantically looked for something in her luggage; that something just had to be there! _

_"I….I forgot my pills…I, I must have left them on the kitchen counter at home…..thought I had put them in my purse" she swallowed hard, her heart beating fast, eyes watery._

_He gave her a blank look._

_"My birth control pills!" she nearly shouted, her eyes blazing fire._

_His jaw dropped, but not too much. After all, what were the odds that she would wind up pregnant after just one time? That only happened in the movies. Oh, and on comedy shows like Friends. Rachel had wound up pregnant with Ross' child after one night of wild passion. He smiled, recalling the freaked out expression on Ross' face when he found out about the pregnancy. Rachel pointed out that condoms were only 97% effective. Ross' eyes popped out of their sockets: "They should put THAT on the box!" he had shouted. _

_That's when he realized that Juliet was glaring at him, and that he was still smiling. He decided against bringing up the Friends episode. This was definitely not the right time._

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Chapter 10 The One Where James Learns They're Having a Baby

Even though Juliet had managed to get to a local doctor and for a prescription for birth control pills almost right after arriving in Tahiti, it still happened.

One day, after arriving home from a long day at the seminar, James found Juliet cuddled underneath a pile of blankets.

The first thing she said when he walked in the room was to tell him that she was pregnant. Not the best way to announce it, she realized, right then. She had thought all day about the best way to say it, given up and just decided to blurt it out…. and hope for the best.

He barely raised his eyebrows, said nothing, and plopped down onto the armchair facing the couch.

"It only takes one time….it happens all the time, women forget to take it one time…and then, there you are… the stork ends up visiting them" Juliet said, as though she were explaining the facts to one of her patients from way back when she was a baby doctor. WOW, she realized still in a daze. How could this be happening to her of all people? Had she not spent a lifetime lecturing women about birth control? How could she have been so excited to leave the island to actually forget something so important? She stood up, shook her head.

"People forget important things all the time," she reassured herself aloud. "It's part of what makes us human" she added, while pacing back and forth across the living room.

WOW, he didn't know she could talk _that_ fast.

James remained glued to his seat, his brain unable to register half of what she had just said.

Hmmm….One thing was for sure… she was pregnant!

What should he do next?

He went through a mental checklist: 1) put on appropriate "not too freaked out" facial expression. 2) Control the jaw dropping. 3) Make sure eyes don't pop out disproportionately. 4) Use Ross as an example of exactly WHAT NOT TO DO under these circumstances. 5) Remain calm and collected no matter what.

After a long time of holding still in a semi-frozen position, he blinked, and scratched the back of his head. He opened his mouth to speak, but no sound came out. It occurred to him that probably for the first time in his life, he honestly didn't know what to say.

He also realized that he had been unresponsive for way too long, for Juliet was now staring at him (deadpan look and all), and had stopped the frantic pacing to re-assume her former cuddled up position on the couch.

Thus, a snappy one liner response was definitely out of the question.

In addition, controlling his reactions wouldn't be good enough, as he was also apparently required to speak.

"Did you ever watch _Friends_?" He asked casually. Sometimes, the safest thing to do is to change the subject.

She nodded. _Not sure where he's going with this._

"Don't you think that Ross' facial expressions were really funny?"

"Yeah, I guess….but I didn't like him and Rachel together…..they were just off and on so many times, it was so unpredictable. I liked Monica and Chandler; they were in a stable healthy relationship."

Hmmm. That was an interesting comparison: Rachel and Ross were indeed a lot like him and Kate.

He moved to sit on the couch next to her. "I think that you and I are like Monica and Chandler."

She smiled. "That's the nicest thing you've said all day."

_This is turning out better than I expected, _he congratulated himself_._

She snuggled up to him. Their eyes locked.

"And you're the best thing that ever happened to me" His lips gently brushed hers. "The truth is that everyday I'm more in love with you" _Yeah, that was the truth!_

"And you're like an interesting mix, a bit of both Chandler and Ross" she smiled widely, tracing his lips with her finger. "And that's why I love you." _Why I'm_ _Mad about you, actually. _


End file.
